Studying at university in Italy

How Italian higher education is organized

Italy has public and private universities, polytechnic universities in Milan, Turin and Bari, and specialized institutions for art, music and design (the AFAM sector). The main undergraduate degree is the laurea triennale, which takes three years and 180 ECTS credits. It is followed by a two-year laurea magistrale. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, architecture and primary teacher education are single-cycle degrees (ciclo unico) that take five or six years from the start.

Most exams are oral or written and graded out of 30, with 18 as the pass mark and "30 e lode" (30 with honours) as the top. Students choose when to sit each exam within several sessions a year, which gives flexibility but also demands self-discipline. Final degree marks are out of 110.

Universitaly pre-enrolment and how to apply

There is no single admission platform for all students. You apply to each university through its own system, following its calendar. If you are a non-EU applicant living abroad and need a study visa, you also submit a pre-enrolment request on Universitaly, the Ministry of University and Research portal. The university reviews it, and the Italian consulate or embassy uses it when processing your visa.

In practice, the order is often:

1. Apply to the university and, if required, take its entrance test.
2. Once accepted or conditionally accepted, submit the Universitaly pre-enrolment for that program.
3. After the university validates it, apply for the study visa at the Italian consulate responsible for you.
4. Enrol at the university after arrival and request your residence permit.

The Universitaly pre-enrolment window and each university's application rounds are set for every academic year. English-taught programs often open rounds from late autumn to spring. Check the 2027-28 dates on Universitaly and on the program page, and leave time for the visa.

Entry requirements for North American graduates

Italian rules for international students, published each year by the Ministry, require a secondary school qualification obtained after at least 12 years of schooling that would give access to university in the country where it was earned. US diplomas and most Canadian provincial diplomas come after 12 years of schooling. In Québec, secondary school ends after 11 years, so Québec applicants should ask the university how it treats the DES and any CEGEP studies. However, because a North American diploma is broader and less specialized than an Italian upper secondary diploma, universities often ask for additional evidence such as AP exams in subjects related to the degree, or a period of university study. Requirements differ from one university to the next, so treat the university's own page as final.

The university may ask for a Declaration of Value (dichiarazione di valore) from the Italian consulate or a statement of comparability from CIMEA, Italy's recognition information centre, to confirm your diploma. Ask which document it accepts before you order one, because both take time.

The IB Diploma is widely accepted, usually with subject conditions.

Entrance tests

Many Italian programs use entrance tests, either to set a ranking for limited places or to check readiness.

• TOLC tests are run by CISIA, a consortium of universities, for engineering, economics, sciences, psychology and other fields. Some are available in English (for example TOLC-I and TOLC-E for English-taught programs) and can be taken online from home.
• IMAT is the entrance test for English-taught medicine and surgery programs at public universities.
• Some universities, especially private ones, run their own tests or accept SAT or ACT scores instead.

Admission rules for Italian-taught medicine and surgery, dentistry and veterinary medicine changed from 2025-26, when a first "filter semester" (semestre filtro) replaced the preliminary entrance test: students take three first-semester exams and are then selected through a national merit ranking. Rules for English-taught medicine, for non-EU applicants and for future years are set separately and may change, so confirm the procedure for 2027 on the Ministry and university sites.

Costs and funding

Public university fees in Italy are usually calculated from family income and assets using an indicator called ISEE, with a regional tax and a stamp duty on top. International students whose families live and earn abroad cannot always produce an ISEE, so universities apply either a special income calculation or a flat international fee. Each university publishes its rules; private universities set fixed and much higher fees.

Regional student aid agencies offer need-based scholarships and housing, and some are open to international students who meet income criteria. Living costs vary a lot between Milan or Rome and smaller university cities.

Language of instruction

Most programs are taught in Italian. Under the ministry procedures, Italian-taught bachelor's and master's programs require Italian at B2 or higher, shown through a recognized certificate such as CILS or CELI or a test set by the university. English-taught bachelor's programs are growing, especially in economics, management, engineering and medicine, and ask for an English certificate or English-medium schooling. Learning basic Italian still helps a great deal with housing, bureaucracy and daily life.

For English-taught programs, the Bridge academic English flashcards help with academic vocabulary.

Visa and residence permit

Non-EU students need a national study visa (type D) issued by the Italian consulate responsible for their place of residence, and must then apply for a residence permit for study (permesso di soggiorno per studio) within eight working days of arrival. For degree programs starting in 2026-27, the official procedures give 30 November 2026 as the visa application deadline. You will need the validated pre-enrolment, proof of financial means, accommodation details and health insurance.

Check the Universitaly portal and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa site for current rules. This guide is not immigration advice.

Public or private, and choosing a city

Public universities teach the majority of Italian students and charge fees based on income. Private universities, including some well-known business, economics and design schools, run their own admissions, often with earlier rounds, their own tests or interviews, and higher fixed fees. Some accept SAT or ACT scores. Both public and private degrees are legally recognized when the program is accredited by the Ministry.

Many large public universities have historic city-centre buildings rather than a single campus, so student life happens across the city. Housing through the regional student aid agency is limited and allocated by income and merit, so most international students rent privately and should start looking as soon as they have an offer.

Practical tips

1. List programs and note which entrance test each one uses.
2. Plan AP exams or other evidence that matches your target degree.
3. Book TOLC or IMAT dates early and practise with official sample papers.
4. Submit the Universitaly pre-enrolment as soon as the university allows, then apply for the visa.
5. Request your residence permit within eight working days of arrival.

Oral exams are a big change for North American students. The study skills for university flashcards include strategies for explaining ideas aloud. Compare Italy with Spain and Switzerland on the universities hub.